I'm not a PhD in anything, or a financial guru, or a particularly lucky person either. As a matter of fact, I'm typically quite lazy and unmotivated. I'm just your average guy. This is exacty why I feel that my story is a success story that anyone can relate to. Here's how it all began...

In August of 2001 I experienced the first of several life changing events. I crashed my motorcycle. Luckily for me, experience and protective gear prevented this from being a more serious accident, or even the end of my story. However, I had destroyed my beloved bike, and shattered my collar bone into four pieces. This all resulted in missing a month of work, expensive medical and hospital bills, and lots of physical pain. And that was just the icing on the cake. I had also recently broken up with my girlfriend, and was nearly $40,000 in debt with no way of ever getting caught up based on my current income. I felt depressed and hopeless.

The second life changing event was much more subtle. One night while laying on the couch watching TV, my attention was grabbed by an older, white-haired man giving a talk on PBS. Now, I never typically watch PBS, nor do older, white-haired men talking on stage attract my attention, but for some reason, this time I did. The speaker was Dr. Wayne Dyer. I had never heard of him, but what he was saying was very interesting to me. To make a long story short, I was starting to feel inspired to make some changes. The very next day, I went to the library and checked out several of his books. The feelings of inspiration continued, and began to build in me.

Now, I honestly believe that both of these events happened for a reason, and that they were, in a sense, my fate, because if they didn't both happen, I wouldn't have changed. I'm not here to promote anyone or their books, but that just happens to be the source of my awakening. The bottom line is that I was now feeling more optimistic and positive about things. I believe that this resulted in me simply being more aware of opportunities that we may not always notice or pay attention to. I honestly don't remember the exact moment of my next inspiration, but I believe it was a phone conversation with my mother. I had relatives that were real estate appraisers, and she suggested that maybe I could do that too. Since I was feeling optimistic and open to opportunities, I thought about the idea, and before you know it, I signed up for the classes that I needed to get my state license.

These classes were not easy. I took the fast course, which meant 8 hours a day of class, and then passing the tests within 3 weeks. It was a lot of information in a very short time. Plus, the commute from my home in the suburbs to the school downtown Chicago was about 90 minutes each way everyday. But I was excited. It was exciting to be learning, and the idea of having a decent income was inspiring. It was also scary, since I didn't know if I would be able to comprehend all of the information and then pass the licensing exam. Then, I still had to actually go out and get a job as an appraiser. Another thing that concerned me was all the driving that appraisers do. I'm not afraid to drive, but I've always had a hard time with directions, and getting around new cities. I used to get very anxious.

Well, I passed the classes and the exam with flying colors, and I was also lucky enough to actually have several job offers within weeks. I was also able to get over the anxiety of driving in unfamiliar places, by simply planning ahead, and getting good directions to each appointment. Now, my life was turning around. I was feeling confident in myself and my future. I was a new man. My personal life, and my financial situation was looking good. In my first year as an appraiser, I made $14,000 more than at my previous job. Then my second year, I earned another $19,000 more than that! That's a $33,000 raise from my old job!

I was still in a lot of debt. Even with the much larger income, it was going to take forever to pay off all my old bills. The solution was right over my head. My house. I had purchased my home several years earlier, but had no idea what it was really worth until now. It turned out that I had quite a bit of equity. To me, this was money coming from God. I just couldn't believe that I could refinance my house and take out exactly the amount of money that I needed to pay off all of my bills. It was like magic. All of a sudden I was completely debt free with only a small car payment, and a modest mortgage payment.

To me, this is the "snowball effect". By that, I mean that when things are going well, and you are feeling optimistic, they just keep on getting better and better. Of course on the other hand, being pessimistic and thinking negative can have the exact opposite effect. Just like the old saying: "when it rains, it pours". Now, don't get me wrong, none of this came easy, not even staying positive. I definitely had to work hard to start a new career, and I also had to work hard just to keep myself motivated and optimistic. One of the things I did was to continue reading inspiring books by self-help authors each night before bed. I even purchased some audio CDs to listen to while driving sometimes. Things were going well, but I could still remember how badly they were going, so out of fear, I wanted to do whatever it took to continue on in the right direction.

Then, I really worked on changing the way I thought about things in general. And this does take practice, just like any other skill. For example, I would practice not getting upset or angry at the other drivers that would typically get me going while in traffic. Another thing that I would practice was how I looked at people. An example of this was how I would not judge people or assume that I know how they feel about me. If you assume that everyone is friendly, and means well, then you will definitely experience most people being friendly and meaning well. On the other hand, if you feel that everyone is out to get you or that everyone is mean, then you will experience that most people are. It's all in the way that you think about things. It really changes everything.

Anyway, there's supposed to be a "Vette" in this story right? My whole life, I dreamed of owning a corvette. Ever since I was a little boy, I would lust over my neighbor's 1971 Custom Red Stingray Corvette. As I grew up, I realized that to buy a new corvette was quite expensive and always seemed way out of reach. Even with my new job, and my debt-free situation, I didn't think that I could afford that dream car just yet, but I kept on dreaming... I focused on that dream quite often. I read about that car. I talked about that car. I had the car's photo on my computer's wallpaper. I even changed some of my passwords to constantly remind me of my goal about getting a corvette. Well, once again, a large sum of money came to me in an unexpected way. Someone that I was generous to in the past came into some money, and they decided to give me $10,000. Now, the actual price of the new corvette was much more than that, but that $10,000, combined with some money that I had saved made a nice down payment so that I could have my dream car with a monthly payment that I could afford.

So, for my 30th birthday present to myself, I took delivery of a brand new, custom ordered and loaded 2005, Z51 Corvette. Buying that car made me feel good. Not in a materialistic way, but because of the sense of accomplishment that I felt. I worked hard mentally and physically to get to this point, and it was like a symbol of success. I made everything come together as proof that I could achieve anything that I really focused on, as long as I remained positive and optimistic. The moral of the story is not that everyone should become a real estate appraiser and then refinance their home for cash. The idea is that if you change your attitude about everything, and open yourself to all of the opportunities that are constantly revealing themselves to us, then you will find your own path of success. If you don't think you can change and find success, then that's exactly what will happen. Focusing on the negative doesn't allow you any extra energy to focus on the positive.

Sometimes it's not just you that creates negative thoughts. I personally had to deal with negative thoughts and comments from some of those around me. You have to learn to ignore those comments and possiblely those people. It's all negative energy that can hold you down. It's always best to surround yourself with those that are doing what you want to be doing. People tend to stay in the same levels as their peers. For example, if you work in a factory, and you're just supposed to work hard all day and maybe stop for a beer after work, and then start over the next day, this can be restraining. Many people create the "us versus them" mentality about those that are more successful than they are. Now there's nothing wrong with working in a factory, but if your friends or co-workers make negative comments or talk down about those that are more successful or are trying to better themselves, then this is creating a negative environment for you. This makes it that much harder to change. Now on the other hand, if your friends are all doing very well, they will be encouraging you to take a similar path to be "like them".

The bottom line is if you can't avoid the negative people around you, then you need to practice ignoring the negative comments and practice focusing on all the positive things. Stay optimistic no matter what. You don't have to do it out load, but you do have to do it inside. This is a continous thing that I continue to do everyday. It's not always easy, and we all have bad days. The difference between successful and unsuccessful people is how quickly they can get back to thinking positive again.

First off, let me point out that I am not a doctor, and that everyone should consult a licensed physician if you have any symptoms that are consistent for more than a week. I am, however very educated about basic health and the common colds and flu. I'm also very familiar with homeopathic medicine and learning how to let the body heal itself. With that said, I can honestly say that I never go to the doctor anymore. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those old-fashioned tough guys that feel that a man should just "ignore pain" or "tough it out" when you have other symptoms or physical problems. As a matter of fact, those around me used to think that I was quite a hypochondriac because I was sick so often. What I'm going to attempt to do in this article is give you every detail as to how I went from always being sick to never being sick.

The good news is that I made this change almost overnight, and after nearly 7 years, I still never get sick. The bad news is that it may be hard for some of you to accept the fact there is no secret potion, or diet, or exercise plan, and that it is mostly about how you think. That's right. How you think directly affects you physically. This is for better or for worse. Now, I did make some other personal changes that I'll go into detail about soon, but honestly, it was my mindset about getting sick that really was the main factor. Here's how I used to be...

I'm a singer. No, I'm not a rock star or anything, but I'm very serious about singing, and obviously getting sick has a huge effect on your singing voice. I also used to be very depressed, and hated my day jobs. So, first of all, if you really hate going to work everyday (especially if you get paid for sick time), then it gets very easy to "get sick" and stay home in bed all day. I'm not talking about faking it. I legitimately had a painful sore throat quite often. Many times, I would even see the doctor to see if I should get antibiotics or something. The point is that when I felt the first signs of a sore throat, I would automatically assume that the worst is inevitable and that I'll be forced to stay home a few days to get better and also to "not infect my co-workers".

This reminds me of another important point. Do not ever worry about "infecting everyone else". First of all, it is not your responsibility to keep the entire human race healthy. And second of all, it's actually not your fault if they do get sick. Here's a very basic and brief description of how this works. As humans, our bodies are constantly in battle with all kinds of viruses every single day. When we get sick, it's because our body has lost one of these battles. So basically, when someone gets sick, it's because they let their immune system get weak through their own bad habits (mental and/or physiological), which then allowed the viruses to win the battles. They essently "let the cold in" via the weak immune system, rather than "catch a cold" from you being near them. Now obviously, it's not good to go around coughing on people or doing anything to purposely expose them to your virus, and one should definitely avoid contact with infants and the elderly when you know that you're sick. They have weaker immune systems. Now here's the other reason that it's not your fault that others get sick: Viruses are most contagious before the host (the sick person) actually shows signs of being sick. So, if you're sick on Friday, then your co-workers were probably already exposed on Wednesday.

I'm actually getting ahead of myself here. If you actually do get sick, then you should get proper care (if necessary) and you should get rest, and drink lots of water, and do whatever you need to do to let your body heal. This article is actually about how to not get sick in the first place. Now, I'm going to break it up into the three main componants of my health: My personal habits, my mentality, and my lack of doctor visits.

Don't go running to the doctor with every sniffle or sore throat.

First of all, again as a safety precaution, if you have a sore throat consistantly for more than 3 days, you probably should see a doctor to make sure that it's not Strep Throat. That can actually be very serious, but 9 times out of 10, a sore throat is not Strep, but rather a viral infection that will take care of itself. That is why going to the doctor is way overdone in this society. First of all, it cost money to see a doctor. Even if you have insurance, there is usually some type of co-pay that you still have to come up with. And then there's usually a prescription that you'll have to pay for as well. This is all in addition to any time off of work that you may have missed. Most doctors will give you a prescription so that you feel that you got your money's worth because now you will have medicine to "fix" the problem. Well there's actually a "problem" with that. If you actually have a bacterial infection, then you'll need antibiotics to get better, but if you just have a typical viral infection or cold, then antibiotics will not only have no effect on the virus, but they will then be less effective the next time you actually do need antibiotics. I'm not going to get into all the technical details about this, but basically, you want to avoid antibiotics until you absolutely need them. The body should always be encouraged to "heal itself", and the more that it does, the better it gets. I even stay away from over-the-counter cold medicines because, again, they don't actually heal you, but they simply mask some of the symptoms. Plus, most have alcohol in them, which will contribute to dehydrating your body more, which does not help the body heal itself. If you absolutely need some kind of medicine for pain or discomfort in order to get a good night's sleep, then once in a while, it's ok. Just try not to reach for the Tylonol or Nyquil everytime you feel a little sick.

My personal health habits are basic and inexpensive. Although there's plenty of potions and pills and drinks on the market that claim to keep you healthy (and some of them are actually good products), I have been doing quite well with some pretty basic stuff. Now everyone is different, and some people require different things, but I have absolutely felt the change in my own life with these habits. Let's start in the morning. I typically have a healthy breakfast consisting of 100% whole wheat toast, and a glass of orange juice. Then I take 3 vitamins: 500mg of Vitamin C, 400iu of Vitamin E, and a Men's Multi-Vitamin. I try to have a healthy lunch, but it doesn't always end up that way. But I do drink lots of water all day long. I try to drink at least 64 ounces per day. (That's eight 8oz glasses). I try to avoid coffee and soda, but again, no one is perfect, so occasionally I'll have something besides water. There are entire books about why you should drink lots of water, but for now, let's just say that it's very important to basic health. The only other "supplement" that I take is a glass of V-8 Splash everyday after work. Regular V-8 is probably better for you, but I personally hate the taste, so I opt for the V-8 Splash. You can buy them in a 64oz bottle at most stores so it's cheaper than buying multiple 16oz bottles. Now as far as exercise goes, I'm also pretty basic. Keep in mind I'm in my early 30s and I'm definitely not overweight (and I've never had a single cigarette). All I do for exercise is a little cardio several days a week. I like riding my bike, so when the weather is nice, I'll ride for about an hour at a decent pace. During the winter, I'll ride a stationary bike for 20 minutes at a more aggresive speed. One last thing here. I'm certainly not compulsive about it, but I do try to wash my hands regularly throughout the day to at least minimize my exposure to viruses.

And now for the big one: Mental attitude.

Back in the beginning, I mentioned that I am a singer. Well that definitely comes into play here. The old me had two things going against me. One was that hating my job and being depressed made me almost like being sick, since it was an excuse to stay home from work. The second thing was that being a singer, I was always worried about getting sick. This is why I was a hypochondriac. I was always afraid that everything was going to make me sick: the weather, having too many beers on Friday night, shaking peoples hands, not getting enough sleep, being in a smoke-filled bar, etc. The basic law of attraction states that we attract whatever it is that we give all of our attention to, so constantly thinking about getting sick resulted in me constantly getting sick. So the more that I worried, and the more that I thought I was doing to prevent it, the more I still got sick, because mentally, I was giving all my energy to "getting sick" instead of "being healthy".

I can't tell you how to make this mental change overnight, but I can tell you how it happened for me. Basically, I got a new job, that on one hand was great because I actually enjoyed doing it. But, on the other hand, calling in sick really wasn't an option. I was a real estate appraiser, so if I wanted to call in sick, I would have to call the customer at home to cancel and reschedule the appointment, and then I would obviously lose a day's pay. Not to mention that quite often, the customer's mortgage company was always in a hurry to get the appraisal report, so if I had to reschedule my appointment, it could potentially blow the whole deal by missing rate-lock deadlines etc. So once I became an appraiser, I simply told myself that I cannot get sick. And it worked. Then, the longer that I would go without being sick, the more confidence it gave me to support the fact that I could control this with my mind.

I'll admit that I do occasionally get a little headache or the first tickle of a sore throat, but I handle it differently now. Before, I would feel the first symptoms of a sore throat on Monday, and basically condemn myself to being home in bed by Friday once it kicked in completely. But now, when I get the first signs of anything, I just tell myself that I'm not having it, and that when I wake up in the morning, it will be gone. My body will finish the battle fighting the virus while I sleep. Please keep in mind that I would also take care of myself by getting extra sleep, drinking extra water, and sometimes taking an extra Vitamin C pill. So it's not 100% mental, but it's definitely a huge part of my defenses.

So that's basically how I avoid getting sick. This is not to be confused with those people that get sick, and accept it, and then just push through the day in pain or discomfort because they believe that they have to. These people are actually causing themselves to get sick more often by not addressing the causes (mental or physical). This is the difference between people that don't miss work because they are troopers, and people that don't miss work because they are healthy.